


Chapter 1 - Fight or Flight

by supreme_genius



Series: The Break Up [1]
Category: Grimm (TV)
Genre: Alcohol, Explicit Language, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-03-04
Updated: 2012-03-04
Packaged: 2017-11-01 03:31:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,360
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/351504
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/supreme_genius/pseuds/supreme_genius
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Nick and Juliette have a fight.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Chapter 1 - Fight or Flight

**Author's Note:**

> I don't own any of the Grimm characters.  
> I just own my ideas.
> 
> People seem to just kind of pass over the Nick/Juliette break up.  
> I want conflict.

Nick had missed their anniversary dinner. He heard the subtle hint of disappointment in her voice when he called. He hurried home, hoping to make it while dinner was still at least a little warm. When he walked through the door, he was only half-surprised to find that it was dark inside. He checked the kitchen: dark and empty, counters were cleared. He checked the dining room: empty place settings and half-melted candles. He walked into the living room and was shocked at the sight: on the sofa were a blanket and his pillow. Nick was really in the dog house if Juliette didn't even want to share their bed with him.  _Shit_ , he thought to himself. There was a note on the coffee table.

Nick-  
Dinner is in the fridge.  
Couch is all yours – don't bother coming to bed.  
Hope it was worth it.  
-Juliette

 _You know what_ , Nick thought,  _it was_. He has saved Monroe – not to mention the countless others Taymor could have gotten ahold of – and ended the Löwen games. He sat down and kicked off his boots. He slipped out of his jacket and tossed it over the arm of the sofa. He briefly thought about going to sleep, but he was still so worked up from earlier. A weird, sudden surge of anger ran through him. He stormed upstairs and into the bedroom. Juliette was curled up in bed, back facing him.

"What do you want? Your pillow's on the sofa. Dinner's in the fridge."

"Juliette…"

"Nick, I really don't want to talk to you right now. I don't even want to see you."

"Well that's too bad. We're talking. Right now." Nick's voice was firm.

"Go away."

"No." Nick was unyielding.

Juliette sat up in bed and faced him. Her eyes were puffy and blood-shot; she'd obviously been crying. It stung Nick's heart a bit. The look on her face was that of exhaustion and desperation. Nick's brow furrowed.

"What do you want from me?" Her voice cracked.

"I called you. I told you I was on my way."

"You're always on your way. I'm tired of waiting for you."

"You're giving up on us?" Nick's voice rose. "You know my job – you know what it entails. I can't control all the twists and turns. I'm a cop for Christ's sake, Juliette. What do you expect? You knew that when we started dating. I don't work a 9-to-5 job like you do." Nick could feel his hands shaking.

"You've got to be fucking kidding me, Nick." Juliette got up from the bed and got closer to him.

"Juliette, I saved someone's life today. Not to mention countless others." Nick was pretty much yelling.

"You can't save everyone." She said it quietly, but still with so much anger. "And I don't think you can save this relationship. You're always at work or with Monroe…it's like you'd rather be anywhere else than with me."

"That's not –"

"I found the ring, in your drawer. You planning on doing something with it?"

Nick was reeling, anger coursing through his veins, faster and faster. He clenched his jaw tight, hands molded into fists. Nick would never  _ever_  hit a woman – he was better that. His mouth, on the other hand, wasn't above a verbal assault.

"Right about now the only plan I have for it is taking it back for a fucking refund."

Nick stormed out, punching the wall on his way out. Juliette jumped; she'd never seen him that angry before. She squeezed her eyes shut tight, trying to hold back her tears. Even though she was furious with Nick, and had actually considered a break-up, she hadn't really thought about what it would be like to not be with him. It was like the last three years were just being thrown away.

Nick stomped down the stairs, grabbed his jacket, and practically ran out the door. He got in his car and sped away. He stopped a few blocks down and thought about where to go. He wouldn't go to the bar – as much as he hated to admit it, he was a total light weight. He definitely wasn't going to Hank's place – with four ex-wives, the man hadn't learned anything about women and Nick wasn't in the mood for any of his so-called advice. Monroe. Of course he would go to Monroe. He drove down the road and turned at the light. As he made his way down the street, he could see Monroe's house getting closer; he could see a light on downstairs. He pulled over out front, in his usual spot, and made his way to the door.

Before Nick could even knock, the door was open and he was greeted by Monroe. Monroe took Nick's jacket and handed him a beer. He already knew something was seriously wrong with Nick – he smelled it as soon as the grimm had pulled up. Nick kicked off his boots by the door – Monroe had him trained well – before plopping down in his usual spot on the sofa. Monroe sat across from him in the recliner, beer in hand. The blutbad didn't say anything; if Nick wanted to talk, then he would. Nick looked at Monroe; he didn't seem too badly injured, but he seemed stiff, sore. He knew under those clothes were bruises – notably sized, deep purple and blue. He thought about whether or not he should pester Monroe with his relationship problems, but in the end, he needed to talk to someone.

"I fucked up."

"What'd you do now?"

Nick glared at Monroe.

"I'm sorry, man. I didn't mean it like that. What happened?"

"Tonight was mine and Juliette's third anniversary. We had a special dinner planned. I thought maybe I'd finally propose. I've had the ring for like four months." Nick sipped his beer. "But with all the shit that happened tonight I ended up missing dinner. I called her, told her I'd be late, but that I'd be home soon. I thought she would have kept dinner warm. She didn't."

Nick stopped, sighed, and sipped his beer again. Monroe didn't know what to say – relationships baffled him. He wanted to say something, wanted to make his friend feel better.

"Fuck. I don't know what happened. She left my pillow and a blanket on the sofa. I should've just laid there and went to sleep. But I was still so aggravated from earlier…it was like I was just looking to fight with her. I went upstairs…I've never yelled at her before. We've never had an issue that couldn't be resolved from talking it out, calmly. I practically verbally assaulted her." His voice cracked, his cheeks were red. "She found the ring, asked me what I was planning to do with it."

Monroe looked at him attentively, afraid of saying the wrong thing.

"I told her I was going to return it. Then I left."

"Did you mean it?"

"What?"

"Any of it – whatever you said to her."

Nick thought for a good, long minute. He nodded. "Yeah," he said quietly – almost a whisper.

They sat in silence for a while. Monroe wanted nothing more than to tell him it'd be ok, hand him another beer, and give him a bear – or wolf, rather – hug. But he couldn't do that. Instead, Monroe did what he thought he could.

"You can stay here tonight, if you want. You can stay as long as you want, really. There's a guest room, you're welcome to it. I won't make you sleep on the sofa."

 _Stupid_ , Monroe thought.  _Too soon for jokes._

Nick smiled a little, tried to let out a small laugh. "Thanks, man."

Nick kept an extra set of clothes in his car, just in case he got stuck overnight at the station. He crashed in Monroe's guest room for the night. He was glad to have Monroe; he really needed a friend to lean on. He slept surprisingly well. In the morning Monroe made him eggs, toast, and tea.

"You should go home. I'm not kicking you out. I just think you should go  _talk_  to her."

"Yeah, I think you're right."


End file.
